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Cutting the Cost of Diapers

Once you discover how much diapers cost, you may want to fasten your baby to a clothing line to drip-dry. But luckily for both parent and child, there are easy ways to save money on diapers.

Deciding on a Diaper

According to Consumer Reports, you can spend almost two thousand dollars on disposable diapers before your baby turns two.

Before you can start to save, you'll need to factor in what type of diaper you want to use. Each type has its sticking points (no pun intended): Cloth diapers, chlorine-free, eco-friendly brands, designer disposables, and generics all come with upsides and down. One of the easiest and most overlooked ways to save money and reduce your family's carbon footprint is to choose cloth diapers. In comparison to disposables, cloth can cost you as little as $300 for three years, and can be reused for future children.

Cloth Diapers

For cloth diapering, you'll need to buy around six-dozen diapers. The cost can vary considerably, so do compare prices. Organic cotton fitted diapers and wool covers are more expensive than more generic pre-folded ones, although they may reduce the need to purchase diaper cream.

There are myths about cloth diapers, despite a recent resurgence in popularity. Some ask if cloth diapers are less sanitary than disposables, but websites like Diaper Jungle debunk this notion. Cloth diapers certainly don't smell worse, and in any case new diaper pails with odor reducing fragrances have made this problem negligible.

Cloth diapers may require another load of laundry a week, but they're still a more environmentally friendly choice than plastic diapers. Cloth diapers don't need to be sterilized or washed with more care than their adult counterparts, or underpants, for that matter.

All Hail the Mommy Bloggers

Whether you go with cloth or disposable, name brand or generic, you can always find out how to get the best bang for your buck from mommy bloggers. They're thorough and thrifty. Take Amy Suzari, who created Frugal Mama and has painstakingly analyzed the cost of name brand disposable diapers so you don't have to. Suzari offers tips like starting with a generic brand first, then upgrading only if necessary.

If you decide to go with a designer label, she also suggests Luvs. Luvs are owned by Proctor & Gamble (PG), the parent company of Pampers, but are about five cents cheaper than Pampers or Huggies.

Mommy blogs can help you weigh what matters most to you and your child, without the pressure that asking your own folks or friends might bring, should you not take their advice. Plus, there are great pithy reviews of diapers out there, so be sure to check out blogs and websites like Babble, Babycheapskate and Thrifty Mama.

Coupons

Log onto the websites for name brand diapers and you'll find offers like giveaways, discounts for buying in bulk and more. Pampers, Luvs , Huggies and Seventh Generation offer a variety of saving options, as do Target (TGT), Babies R Us, Amazon (AMZN), and Costco (COST).

You're Not Alone

Even the most stylish parents try to cut costs when it comes to diapers. SaSaDi Odunsi, a mother of three and owner of the chic maternity clothing boutique Bump Brooklyn, says, "It's well worth trying to save a bit here and there when you have 2-3 years of diapers ahead of you, however many kiddos you plan to have!"

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auntnana1982

I used disposable diapers on my first baby through the time he was potty trained. My second baby developed constant yeast infections and painful rashes. The doctor determined it was due to the vast array of chemicals used in the disposable diapers. The only option we had was to use cloth for him. It was an easy decision because we really had no choice. For one month we obtained a diaper service. Once we got the hang of it we decided to buy our own. We found that using cloth diapers worked great for us. Our baby's rashes went away. We saved a lot of money. I believe he was more comfortable in the 100% cotton diapers. The daycare center required a doctor's note that the cloth diapers were necessary due to health issues.Once we provided that, they had to accomodate us. We washed and folded them daily until he was potty trained - nearly 3 years. I tried convincing my kids to use cloth diapers on our grand babies, but to no avail. It still makes sense to me to at least try them.

Wow! To call anybody who uses disposable diapers Lazy sounds pretty ignorant! I have 3 kids and stay at home, I have used Pampers on all 3 of my kids, which by the way I change each and every time they go pee or pooh, I have seen babies in big soggy diapers and yes that is disgusting and lazy of the parents. I however am in no way lazy! So I guess it's Safe to assume that all the moms out there who look down on other moms for chosing to use disposable diapers instead of cloth practice what they preach and use cloth tampons and maxi pads instead of disposable ones.

I used cloth diapers with both my children and yes that worked for me. I was a working mother and still used cloth but that was because my mother watched my children. In this day and age I think you would probably find it hard to find day care centers that would be comfortable with the use of cloth diapers. I bet there are hundreds of day care works who have never had to use one. So I don't consider those who use disposables lazy I think its just the sign of the times. The article mentions reusing them for your next child I don't know about that. If you launder your own (which I did with my first one) you can never make them as white or as soft as a diaper service which is how I got through it the second time around.

Use Cloth diapers... learn to make your own. Saves thousands of dollars and makes for comfortable babies. It's not rocket science. There are dozens of sites to help you get started. Old tee shirts and flannel blankets from second hand stores can be bought for 10cents on the dollar and make wonderful diapers. For those defending disposables saying how busy you are.... you are no busier than any other mom. If saving money is your goal, stop making excuses.

I used cloth diapers for all three of my children. You get used to it and I even used pins and diaper covers. We double diapered at night and did occasionally used disposable when we traveled. It really is not that big of a inconvenience.

For the people who say that the people who use disposable diapers are lazy, need to re-think that statement. I am a very busy mom and disposable diapers work for me. I am far from lazy. Sterotyping is just plain stupid. Cloth may work for one person but not the next.

Anyone that has any sense knows that cloth diapers are cheaper than those disposable ones that are taking up way too much space in the landfill. People that use disposable diapers as the #1 diaper are just plain lazy. I always used cloth diapers on all my kids. Youth of today are just lazy and disrespectful towards their parents. There are exceptions to this. I'm not talking to the exceptions, I talking to the majority. If you stay home and don't use cloth diapers, you are lazy..period. If you have to work and use them for daycare purposes, it is understandable.

My daughter is now 40. When she was born I started using disposable diapers - yes - they were manufactured "way back then." She developed a severe diaper rash. At her pediatrician's suggestion, I switched to cloth diapers. No more diaper rash. I used a diaper pail & washed her diapers separate from our other wash loads. Hey! It works!Try it - not only will your baby like it --- you'll like it! If you have a washing machine, you don't need a diaper service. Wash them yourself.